The Forgotten 23
by luvnaley23
Summary: Haley tells Jamie the story about her tattoo. A fluffy oneshot.


I have been meaning to do this story for a long time. It is a fluffy Naley piece. I hope everyone enjoys. It is my first one shot. Please review. Thank you Baby C for beting. Much love. This is to all my girlies at the CW Boards. Ashley,(my twin-kie) Christy(baby C), Emily and Mjessica and Missy(my twinnie) and Kirstie(my soulmate), Shachar and Bethie and Jessica(my bestie). Also to my girlies the originals, Lauren(my buddy) and Erin(my brain) and Whitney. I hope you girlies love it.

"Mommy, Mommy!" Jamie runs eagerly towards me up the stairs, crayons in his hand and a look of determination painted on his face. I laugh and scoop him up.

"Yes, my darling little boy what can I help you with?"

"Mommy I want to color on you." He starts to take out the blue crayon, poised and ready to leave his mark on my body. It is just like Scott men to want to brand me as theirs. I laugh knowingly. Jamie had been set for quite some time to forever remove the 23 on my back. He didn't understand why when he wiped at it, it wouldn't disappear. I knew eventually I would have to tell him the story behind the tattoo and today seemed like as good as a day as any.

"Jamie, we discussed this, you can't remove the tattoo its special to mommy."

Jamie pouts and takes his bottom lip and bits hard in deep concentration. He didn't seem to like my answer.

"But moooooooommy." He took the crayon and with even more drive, I moved from his grasp. I picked him off of the ground and had him face me. I adored everything about Jamie. He was the perfect mix of us. He had his fathers beautiful blue eyes, always so full of love and hope. He had my hair that would curl if it got to long. He managed to also get the gift of the Scott smirk. He was currently show casting his best Scott pout.

"But why Mommy?" He looks at me with such sorrow I almost wish I could. But I would never. The 23 changed my life and I never want that feeling to leave. I know a part of me would die if I ever removed the 23 from my body. I pull Jamie closer to my body and snuggle into his arms. He seems to calm and seems to maybe have forgotten the incident all together. I become nostalgic knowing that soon he will no longer be small enough to carry in my arms. I smell his hair. He used my shampoo again. Insisting he loved the way I smelled. Times like this I wish I could freeze time. I don't eve want to forget this moment, Jamie in my arms so content. I shake off the feeling and prepare to tell the story that Jamie impatiently anticipates.

"You see Jamie when Mommy was younger; she met a very special man. I knew that he would be the one the minute he walked into the tutoring center."

"Don't you love daddy?" I laugh at Jamie's question as he peers curiously at me. I shake my head yes.

"Daddy was the man that walked into the tutoring center." Jamie smiles in response and lays his head down on my chest. He is now ready to hear more. I rub Jamie's back in smoothing circles and press on.

"You see Mommy wanted to remember that feeling forever. So one day I went for a walk and I saw the tattoo parlor and I knew how I could do it." I smile as evoke that emotion once again. My heart skips a beat remembering how I never wanted to forget it. Not knowing at the time I wouldn't have too. I recall the moment blissfully.

"_Look, I didn't mean to freak out on you up there, okay? But, a tattoo?" Lucas asks angry and not understanding my decision._

"_You got one. You got one with a girl you're not even dating anymore." I shot back. _

"_I know. How stupid do I look? "Lucas responded. Lucas sits down_ and _sets the mug of hot chocolate down. He patiently waits for my reasoning._

"_Nathan doesn't know. Ugh, God, what am I going to do, Luke? I'm so, I hate being away from him, I think about him constantly. I was in the middle of a history quiz yesterday and I just totally zoned out on him. Maybe we're not_ _going to be together for the rest of our lives, but right now I'm in love for the first time and if I look at this tattoo 20 years from now, and it reminds me of how I feel today, I think I'll be okay with that." I start to panic_.

_Lucas grabs my hands and steadies it. "You're not a mess, you're just in love." I smile at him and get acquainted with my new feeling._

That conversation had been the best I ever had with Lucas. He had opened my eyes to something that I had been blinded to. Jamie stares up at me. His smile so wide.

"That's daddy's number isn't it?" I beam at him because he caught on so fast. Jamie looks down on the Jersey he was wearing just then figuring out the number was the same as the tattoo. He traces the number on his jersey. He looks back up at me and smirks. I chuckle at his reaction, knowing it went better than I had anticipated. Jamie jumps out of my arms and takes the crayons and runs into his room. I giggle at his actions. I start to follow him into his room.

"Mommmy No! You can't look!" I have no choice but to oblige him.

"Baby I'm home," Nathan yells up the stairs.

"We're up here!" I yell in response. Nathan rushes up the stairs, and kisses me tenderly.

"Why are we standing outside of our son's room?" Nathan inquires as he traces my tattoo with his fingers. A habit that he has picked up since he saw it. He doesn't realize he does it. This makes my heart soar knowing that. I remember his reaction when I first got it. He was confused. If I had been him, I would have been. I was refusing to sleep with him yet I branded myself for life with his number. What was there to understand? I smile fondly remembering the first time that Nathan expressed his feelings to me.

_Flashback_

"_But I am. Haley, you got a tattoo for god sakes. It just freaks me out a little bit, because obviously this whole thing with us means a lot to you. I just don't want to do anything to pressure you. Or drive you away. Even though sometimes I can't help it. Just like I can't help that I fell in love with you. 'Cause I did. I love you, Haley. And it scares me, a little bit, but, there it is." My heart is ecstatic. I kiss him in response and utter the words I know that he is waiting for._

"_I love you too."_

My eyes close recalling that memory. Nathan smiles down at me and he knows what I am thinking. Without a word. He takes me in his arms and presses me against the wall and starts to kiss me. His tongue exploring and tasting me. I can taste the pizza he very clearly just had and the mixture of his taste. My hands tremble with all the love I feel for the man that is currently kissing me. He stills me and places my hand on his heart. I know what he is saying with that action without him even talking. His eyes shine through with such love. I can never grow tired of this feeling. He puts his hand under my shirt and reaches for the tattoo.

"Jeez hales, I still get so turned on from this." He says as he fingers my tattoo. I stare up at his lust filled eyes. Mine mirror his.

"Daddy" We snap out of lust filled stance and glance down at our little interruption.

"Yes buddy." Nathan collects Jamie in his arms, much like I had earlier.

"Look what I drew!" He hands Nathan a picture of two stick figures with the number 23 in the middle with a little boy standing underneath it. Nathan looks at me and I tear up at seeing such a simple drawing have such symbolism.

"I drew it because Mommy said she always wanted to remember." Jamie tells his daddy. Nathan hugs Jamie and sets him down.

"You did a great job; I am going to put it on the fridge right now." Nathan heads towards the stairs and Jamie follows eager to see his drawing on the fridge. I stay behind because I needed to compose myself. Who knew that such a young child could do something so amazing and not even know it? I suck in a breath and start to join my family down in the kitchen. I walk into the kitchen and see Jamie and Nathan laughing about something that Jamie did at school. I smile proudly at the two men that mean the most to me. I will remember this moment forever and this time I wouldn't need a tattoo. I rub at my stomach knowing that another blessing was dwelling there. I knew this was the moment I would tell them.


End file.
